.

When Mazin of Bussorah arrived near the palace of the seven
sisters, they came out to meet him, saluted him and his wife, and
conducted them within; but they were astonished at his return,
and at first could scarcely believe his success, wondering that
he had not perished on the road, or been torn in pieces by the
wild beasts of the desert; for they had regarded it as impossible
that he should ever reach the islands of Waak al Waak.

When they were seated, they requested him to relate to them all
that had befallen him, which he did from first to last, and they
were more than ever astonished at his uncommon adventures. After
this they introduced a collation, and spread the cloth, when they
ate till they were satisfied, and then wrote a letter and
dispatched it to the mother of Mazin, congratulating her on the
health of her son, and his safe return with his wife and
children.

Mazin remained with the ladies a month, enjoying himself in
feasting and amusements, after which he begged permission to
depart to his own country, for his heart was anxious for his
mother. They dismissed him, and he travelled unceasingly till he
arrived at Bussorah. He entered the city at sunset, and proceeded
to his own house, when his mother came out, saluted him, and
embraced him. She had erected her tomb in the court of her house,
and had wept night and day till she became blind, but when the
letter arrived from the sisters, from the rapture of joy her
sight returned unto her again. She beheld the children of her
son, embraced them, and that night was to her as an eed or
festival.

When God had caused the morning to dawn, the chief personages of
Bussorah visited Mazin to congratulate him on his return, and the
principal ladies came to his mother, and rejoiced with her on the
safety of her son. At length intelligence of it reached the
caliph Haroon al Rusheed, who sent for Mazin to his presence.
Having entered the audience chamber, he made the usual obeisance,
when the caliph returned his salute, and commanded him to sit.
When he was seated, the caliph demanded that he should relate the
whole of what had befallen him, to which he answered, "To hear is
to obey."

Mazin then recited his adventures from the time the fire-worshipper
who had stolen him from his mother by his stratagems, the mode of his
coming to the palace of the seven ladies, the manner in which he
obtained his wife, her flight from the palace of the empress Zobeide,
hi